NL
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable family trip - highly recommended
We had an amazing vacation and would highly recommend booking through Makasa! Everything was well-organized by Selma, and she offered great suggestions for our itinerary and accommodations. When we had to postpone our trip due to serious illness, they were incredibly flexible and rebooked everything, allowing us to enjoy our vacation later when we were in good health. We really appreciated that!
Jacob, our guide, was fantastic! He has an extensive knowledge of nature, animals, and culture, and explained everything clearly. He was patient, calm, and had a great sense of humor. He also made sure we traveled safely, navigating the bumpy roads with skill. And, thanks to him, we got to see the Big 5!
We also had a wonderful experience at Kimbilio, the camp owned by Makasa. The camp was small and located in a quieter part of the Serengeti, which made it feel intimate and peaceful. The staff were incredibly friendly, the food was delicious, and we had a lot of fun playing card games and laughing together!
Overall, it was a memorable and exceptional trip, and we’re grateful to the entire Makasa team for making it all possible! Asante Makasa!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience with an excellent guide
Our guide Jeff gave my family and I a fantastic tour of the Nairobi National Park. Prior to the day of tour, he gave us tips to prepare ourselves for the game drive such as what to carry and expect. To start off the day, Jeff arrive at our designated pick-up spot on time and patiently waited while my family ran alittle behind on time. At the park, he was very friendly, knowledgeable and engaging. After the drive, we stopped by the gift shop and took our time shopping and enjoyed mini-picnic packed lunch. It is obvious that Jeff has a passion for what he does! We intend to tour several more parks with him during our next vacation in Kenya.
DE
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Super
The Safari was an incredible Experience, the accomondation in the national Park was very comfortable and the guide was a really nice and funny guy, which made the experience Even better
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Blessed with nature, scenery and important historical learnings
Wonderful country rich in wildlife, nature and culture. Found it very easy to navigate and met many lovely folk
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
I love Kenya
Kenya was super,we liked from Apodiformes adventure, our driver Dickson to lodges, safary and beach hotel
PT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An incredible experience with a few caveats
I had never been particularly interested in visiting Tanzania, and the idea that safaris were quite expensive had always kept me from considering this option. However, when I started researching, I realized that it was possible to do a safari on a budget. I quickly understood that the price of safaris can rarely go much below €200 per day due to the cost of park entry fees. And here a controversial question arises: where does this money actually go?
It’s clear that the money paid for park entry fees gets 'lost' in the hands of the government, which fails to attract more tourism precisely because it doesn’t create better conditions outside the parks. It’s a shame to see that a country like Tanzania isn’t more developed, especially when tourists contribute so much through park entry fees.
A clear example… The minimum wage in Tanzania is less than €60, yet a foreign tourist or visitor staying at a camp inside Serengeti National Park during peak season pays around €150 per adult for every 24 hours.
Is it worth it? IT’S ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT! But at the same time, we understand that tourists are mainly helping the Tanzanian government get 'easy money,' because outside the parks, we see that nothing is being done to improve the quality of life.
When it comes to the tour agencies that organize these safaris, we encounter another 'system' designed to enrich the owners, while asking tourists to cover the salaries of the guide and support staff.
As a European, I’m not accustomed to tipping culture, and I don’t agree with it. If I pay for a safari, I expect to be paying for EVERYTHING… including a fair wage for the guide, the chef, and anyone assigned by the company to the safari. One day before starting the safari, we received
a document guide on the 'tip' we were expected to give at the end of the safari to our guide, cook, and other staff members.
According to the document, each person was expected to tip the guide $25 per day. Do you know the salary that the company I chose pays the guide? $25 per day! And this amount (the $25 that the company pays the guide) is the same whether it’s a low-budget safari or a luxury safari where tourists easily pay around €2000–€3000 per person for the experience. Is that fair? It doesn’t seem so to me.
That being said, I have to say that I loved the experience... but I wish Tanzania would start to understand that it needs to build a better infrastructure, and that starts with using the money that tourists leave in the country to improve the conditions within the country itself.
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Wildlife and Scenery
I spent three weeks in Tanzania in October - November 2024 and it was an amazing experience. I had gone mostly for safari and to see the famous animals, this delivered beyond my highest expectactions. I saw lions, leopards, and cheetahs, and all of these with cubs. Two female lions slept in a tree about two metres away form me, the only sounds their breathing and the breeze; I saw a leopard and her baby climb a massive tree together; I saw a momma elephant give her baby a tender stroke and embrace, with her trunk. I saw huge hippos, elegant giraffes, two different types of hyenas, jackels, a small cat called a Serval, and approximately one billion zebras and wildebeasts. I like birdwatching as well, and I saw so many exotic species: Ostriches, African Fish Eagles, the Secretarybird, the Gold Crowned Crake, Vultures, Love Birds, and Verraux's Eagle-Owl, among many, many others (for the bird nerds, I logged nearly 100 species without trying that hard).
The parks I visited were the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangiere, and Lake Manyara; they were all great but I recommend them in that order. For the Serengeti, I stayed in a fixed camp in the park itself for 3 days. This is a more expensive option, but I highly recommend this if your budget allows it: one of the greatest experiences of my life.
I also visited Mwanza and Lake Victoria, Dar Es Salaam, Zanzibar and Mount Kilimanjaro. These were all worthwhile, with different activities and tones. Mwanza is not very touristy and has good options for birdwatching, hiking and for seeing a bit more of a traditional lifestyle. Dar is very busy but has great shopping and cultural experiences; highly recommend the Tinga Tinga Art Cooperative, which is a treasure trove of wonders. Zanzibar is touristy, but has beautiful beaches and lively nightlife; my top experiences there were Paje Beach, wandering the labyrinth of Stone Town, and eating at the nearby Forodhani Garden Night Market (best on the weekend when it is most lively and fun). Finished my trip hiking on Mount Kilimanjaro which was very scenic, quiet and relaxing, a nice countrast to the bustle of the other places.
There are some challenges, as you find with any developing country; the wi-fi in most places is poor, I recommend getting a local sim card instead (cheap and good service). Some of the domestic travel options can be a bit unreliable; I would avoid buses and ferries if possible, and either fly from place to place, or hire someone to drive you.
But these are minor things, just to mention. Otherwise: the weather is warm, the people are friendly, the food (and local beer) is delicious. And the wildlife and scenery are just: INCREDIBLE. One of the best travel experiences I have had. Kwaheri and assante!
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Amboseli National Park by Neringa Martinoniene
We saw a lot of elephants and cheetahs
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Lake Nakuru National Park by Neringa Martinoniene
There were so beautiful and amazing
LT
50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Review about Masai Mara National Reserve by Neringa Martinoniene
There were lions!